Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 23, 2026

Preparation and Evaluation of Hybrid Composites of Chemical Fuel and Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes in the Study of Thermopower Waves
Published on: April 10, 2015
Aggregation of oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes: Interplay of nanomaterial surface O-functional groups and
Tianjiao Xia1, Xuetao Guo1, Yixuan Lin1
1College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-Environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, PR China.
Abstract:
The fast-growing production and application of carbon nanotube (CNT) materials in a variety of industrial products inevitably lead to their release to wastewater and surface water. CNT would experience oxidization in wastewater treatment plant due to the presence of large amount of disinfectants, such as H2O2 and O3, which in turn affects the environmental fates and risks of CNT. In this study, oxidized CNT materials (O-CNTs) were prepared by treating CNT with H2O2/UV and O3 (denoting as H2O2-CNT and O3-CNT, respectively). A variety of characterizations indicated that oxygen containing groups were generated on CNT surface upon the oxidation, and the O/C ratio increased in the order of pristine CNT < H2O2-CNT < O3-CNT. In the presence of Na+, K+ and Mg2+, the O-CNTs displayed better colloidal stability than the pristine CNT, and the stability increased with the oxidation degree (indicated by O/C ratio). This could be explained by the more negative surface charge and stronger hydrophilicity of the O-CNTs. Unexpectedly, in the presence of Ca2+, the most oxidized O3-CNT exhibited the poorest colloidal stability. The abundant carboxyl groups in O3-CNT provided effective binding sites for cation bridging effect through Ca2+ and led to stronger aggregation. Increasing pH was more favorable to disperse CNTs (both O-CNT and pristine CNT) in the presence of Na+, but much less effective in inhibiting the aggregation of O3-CNT in presence of Ca2+. This could be explained by the stronger cation bridging effect due to enhanced deprotonation the -COOH groups at higher pH conditions. The calculated Hamaker constants of the CNTs decreased with the oxidation degree, implying that there was lower van der Waals force between the O-CNTs. The Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) calculation confirmed that O-CNTs had to overcome higher energy barrier and thus showed better colloidal stability than the pristine CNT in the presence of Na+.
Related Concept Videos
Phase I Reactions: Oxidation of Carbon-Heteroatom and Miscellaneous Systems
In carbon-nitrogen systems, aliphatic and aromatic amines can undergo oxidative reactions. Secondary and tertiary amines, like those found in tricyclic antidepressants, can undergo N-dealkylation, a process that involves the oxidation of the alkyl group. In addition, oxidative...
Oxidation Numbers
Phase I Reactions: Oxidation of Aliphatic and Aromatic Carbon-Containing Systems
Oxidation reactions are fundamental in aromatic carbon-containing systems. An example is the hydroxylation of phenobarbital, a process that transforms it into...
Composition of Polyprotic Acid Solutions as a Function of pH
A graph with the alpha values is plotted against the volume of...
Chemistry of Carbohydrates
Factors Affecting Dissolution: Particle Size and Effective Surface Area

